Ever watch one of those television shows about people discovering they had some sort of health problem that they never knew existed?Well, an event similar to this proved helpful to John Sekula when he eventually discovered he had a brain tumor.

Sekula has been working in MATC’s prepress department for quite some time, and when he heard about a free EKG clinic at MATC, he decided to attend. He is an active person, and when he discovered he had a problem with his aorta valve, he was told to see the doctor.

A few years later he developed sleep apnea, his hands and feet began to grow, and he developed jaw problems.

Sekula didn’t know it at the time until he found a website about something called acromegaly.

Having done some research, Sekula discovered that he had all of the symptoms that matched the definition of acromegaly.

In a nutshell, acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that results from too much growth hormone being produced in the body. In patients who have acromegaly, the pituitary produces excessive amounts of growth hormone, and the cause is usually related to a tumor on the pituitary gland.

Not long after he had made this discovery, Sekula went to Froedtert Hospital to have the majority of the tumor removed, and if things go according to plan, the rest of the tumor will be treated using gamma knife radiation in either April or May.

In the meantime, Sekula is taking a variety of medications to keep his body in good shape. “I’ve never had any kind of health problems, and now I don’t take things for granted so much anymore,” he said.

Good health is something everybody can appreciate, and when things turn worse, it’s always a good thing to think about the good things in life. According to Sekula, “Count your blessings and appreciate things.